Superstructure for narrow-gage railways.



v PATENTED MAY 28, 1907. F. NELLBN. .SUPERSTRUGTURB FOB. NARROW GAGE RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4. I906.

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'PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.-

, VF. NELLEN.

'SUPERSTRUGTURB FOR NARROW GAGE RAILWAY S.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH NELLEN, OF ESSEN, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Application filed September 4, 1906. Serial No. 333,161.

Iatcnted May 28, 1907.

for narrow gage railways the ties whereof are provided in the well known manner before being laid down, alternately with inner and outer holders. This arrangement is effected 'for instance in trackways already above ground and the ties are conveyed in a finished state to the utilizing place. For mounting this superstructure the ties provided with outer holders are at once placed in the right position while the ties provided with inner holders are obliquely arranged. Then the rails are placed on the ties in such a manner that the foot of the rails is engaged between the outer and inner holders and-then the outer border of their foot is slid under the holders of the ties provided with outer holders. Finally the oblique ties provided with inner holders are conveyed into their normal position by some blows whereby their holders are ressed against the inner edges of the rail oot. The holders of the inner ties are arranged 2.3 millimeters farther apart than the normal gage of the track with 'a view of producing in this manner the necessary tension whereby the rails are held in an invarie able manner.

The well known rail securing devices of this kind have not been introduced until now into the mines as they had still considerable drawbacks. Until now, iron was employed in most cases for the ties of this kind. Iron ties have, and this is a well known fact, only a short life in the always moist mines, as they are readily destroyed by rust. Light iron ties are quickly damaged by the feet of the horses, while heavy ties, which do not have this drawback, are too heavy and difficult to handle. Finally in iron ties, when the rail foot is destroyed partly by rust further adjustment is in most cases impossible so that the track soon loses its safety of working. In one of the well known constructions wedges are arranged by means whereof the rails when their feet have become rusted, can again be brought into contact with the holders; this lateral shifting of the rails produces show considerable advantages in comparison with the iron ties. They have a relatively low weight and notwithstanding are more resistant especially against the eifect's of the moisture. The principal advantage of wood as a material for ties which is especially useful for the application of the present process, is its elasticity. Owing to this property the foot of the rails is always securely engaged in the holders. The slight mistakes made in the dimensions of the opening of the mouth of the holder, which are unavoidable when the holders are secured to the ties, are rendered unobjectionable by the fact that on the one hand the securing ofthe holders on wood is slightly yielding compared with the se curing on iron and that on the other hand the foot of the rail can be slightly pressed into the tie. For this reason it will be advisable when wooden ties are used, to make the opening of the mouth of the holder generally so narrow that an elastic tension is produced when the foot of the rail is slid into place. As this is not possible with iron ties byreason of the absence of the elasticity, rails mounted on iron according to the present invention, would in most cases bulge.

Another essential advantage of the use of wooden ties, which also is a consequence of the elasticity of wood, consists in that the holders can always be adjusted so that when for instance the foot of the rail is rusted, they can always be brought into close contact with the latter. The holder is thereby pressed into the yielding surface of the wooden tie until it is again firmly engaged on the rail foot. This possibility of adjustment has still been increased in the present invention by the fact that the contact faces of the holders on the ties are provided with projecting ribs which are'pressed into the wood.

In the annexed drawings: Figure 1 shows a track the ball of the rails whereof is cut away, the track being shown in plan and its rails being mounted with the aid of the new rail securing device. Figs. 2 and 3 show two ties seen from the front. Fig. 4 shows the fastening of the rail on the wooden tie by means of asimple rail holder, this figure show- IIO holders ct are secured in such a manner, that .into the ties.

one tie 0 provided with inner hooks alternates with one tie (1 provided with outer holders. The inner and outer holders are arranged apart in the well known manner so that the difference between the distance of the places of the outer holders applied against the rail-foot and the corresponding distance of the inner holders is about 2 millimeters less than the double width of the rail with inner holders are tightened, the rails are slightly bent in a corresponding manner and thereby such a tension is produced that the rails lie immovable toward the outside as well as toward the inside. Owing to this and to the above stated jamming of the rail feet under the holders secured in an elastic and yielding manner to the wooden ties, the rails are secured and fixed so efficiently that even a special joint connecting device may be dispensed with. The tie arranged beneath the joint is simply provided with slightly larger outer holders wherein the rails are held with suflicient firmness simply by the friction. The screwed clips shown in the drawings can be replaced by tie screws.

The holders according to their width are provided with one or two holes adapted to receive the wood screws 1) which are screwed The holders are each provided on their lower face with two projecting ribs f which when the. holder is screwed down engage the wood and thus remain immovably stationary. Owing to these ribs the mouth opening for the rail foot can be regulated, the securing screws being more or less tightened. Fig. 4 shows the holder less tightly secured (dotted lines) so that the same holder could be employed as well for a thicker rail foot. By virtue of these projecting ribs the rail foot is further more securely held as it is adapted to be applied entirely against the surface 7c so that the rail, even when not normally gaged cars are rolling on the track, cannot yield and be bent outwardly and the car cannot fall between the rails.

In order to prevent the rails from bending opposite the inner clips, a hole 9 is bored at this place in the tie (Fig. 1) and in this hole is forced by hammer blows a ring bolt 7t (Fig. 7) after the tie has been put in place.

The eye of the bolt has for its object to allow of the bolts being easily withdrawn by means of a pick or the like, when the tracks are dismounted, and being easily preserved by being strung on a wire. The bolt is thus withdrawn without any damage and can again be employed. Instead of the ring bolts, bolts provided with square heads can also be used and these bolts can also be easily withdrawn.

The outer holders can be provided with advantage with a 'fishplate Z as shown in Fig. 5. In this form the holder is preferably used as a. connecting holder for two abutting rail ends (Fig. 1), this holder being secured to the wooden tie by means of two headed screws 1) and connected by two fish plate bolts m with each rail end. The said. projections therefor completely prevent any shifting, ielding or falling over of the rails.

When the rails and ties have been placed. as explained in the beginning of this specilication, the ring bolts 7L are inserted. opposite the inner holders in the hole bored in the ties.

n, Fig. 6, is a screw holder, which is em ployed in rough ties.

Compared with the process of placing rails, by means of nails, on wooden ties in general use in mines, the superstructure which forms the object of this invention o'll'ers considerable technical and economical adwintages. The chief technical advantage resides in the fact, that notwithstanding the simplilication of the work, a much better track is obtained.

Having now fully described my said invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway track the combination with the rails of wooden ties provided alternately with inner holders and with outer holders both adapted to engage the foot of the rails, the said holders comprising a clip part adapted to engage the top of the rail foot and a bottom part adapted. to engage the tie, projecting ribs arranged on the lower surface of the said bottom part of the holder parallel to the edge of the rail foot, a hole in said bottom part and a wood screw ad apt-ed to engage the tie through the said hole, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railway track the combination. with the rails of wooden ties alternately provided with inner holders and with outer holders both adapted to engage the rail foot, of means provided on the said holders 'for adjusting same, of means for securing the said. holders to the ties, of holes bored into the ties provided with inner holders, opposite the said inner holders and adjacent to the rail foot, and of ring bolts adapted to engage the said holes, substantially as and for the pur pose set forth.

3. In a railway track the combination with the rails of wooden ties alternately provided with inner holders and with outer holders both adapted to engage the rail foot of means provided on the said holders for adjusting same, of means for securing the said holders to the ties, of holes bored into the said ties provided. with inner holders opposite the latter and adjacent to the rail foot,

and of head screws adapted to engage the holes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a railway track the combination with the rails of wooden ties alternatelyprovided with adjustable inner holders and adjustable outer holders, both adapted to engage the rail foot, of screws adapted to secure the said holders to the" ties, the holders of the joint 10 ties being outer and larger ones, a fishplate secured to each ofthe said outer holders and means for securing the said fishplate to each of the abutting ends of the rails, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 

